Chappelli backs Punter's spirit

Daniel Lane

RICKY PONTING received a welcome accolade from former Test skipper Ian Chappell when he declared the besieged batsman possessed characteristics that would have ensured he slotted straight into Chappell's legendary World Series Cricket team in the late 1970s.

The knives are out for the 37-year-old after he was dismissed cheaply in both innings of the Adelaide Test, which came on top of his duck in the first Test in Brisbane. An inside edge on to the stumps off a Dale Steyn delivery ended Ponting's second dig for 16 late on Saturday.

There have been calls for the former captain to retire but Chappell said that decision was Ponting's prerogative. ''Ricky is a fierce competitor and you'll always find guys who play at that [elite] level have enormous pride in their performance,'' Chappell said. ''He's always been honest and that's a reason why he's a good player … he can look at himself in the mirror. [Before the current series] he said [to me], 'Mate I'm a realist and I'll know when the time is right and I'll be out before that' and I hope he's true to his word.

''He does have that pride in his ability, and I think that's another thing with the retirement issue: if you have that pride you'll have a level [you tolerate] and you're prepared to drop to that level. However, once you reach another level [below acceptable] you know it's time to go. The difficult thing is not so much knowing when you've hit that level, but admitting it.''

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However, Chappell, who captained the World Series Cricket team that was bankrolled by Kerry Packer in the late 1970s, offered Ponting - and other members of the current team - a compliment when he said they would have fitted in comfortably with what was then the creme de la creme of the game with Chappell, brother Greg, Dennis Lillee, David Hookes, Rodney Marsh, Max Walker, Kerry O'Keeffe, Gary Gilmour, Lenny Pascoe, Rick McCosker and Doug Walters.

''You want competitors,'' he said. ''It was the same when I agreed to do this job with the Melbourne Stars as a selector … I said, 'You're looking for skilful players but, most importantly, I'm looking for competitors'. My belief is if we pick a whole bunch of competitors we won't go far wrong. Competitors are generally decent cricketers anyway.

''One of the young blokes coming through, [James] Pattinson, looks like one of those guys and [Peter] Siddle always give the impression he's competing. It doesn't matter what era it is, you won't go wrong picking competitors.''

In his latest book Chappelli - Life, Larrikins and Cricket, which was launched during the week, Chappell said the reason he fought Packer to sign Ashley Mallett to WSC was because the South Australian spin bowler was a scrapper.

Chappell reserved special mention for Michael Clarke, who created history on Friday when he scored his fourth double century in a calendar year, by describing his leadership as something that has given Australia a winning edge. ''There was never any doubt in my mind that tactically Michael would be very good,'' Chappell said. ''I met him at the academy and he was a very confident young kid, but respectful.

''The confidence is important. His thinking on the game was aggressive and I then saw him captain a little bit in [international] one-day games before he was given the Test captaincy; never any doubt in my mind he'd be a good tactician but he's exceeded what I thought.

''He gives Australia a huge advantage over South Africa with [Graeme] Smith. I look upon Smith as a captain who wants to get into an impregnable position and then push on hard for the win. That type of cricket [means] you'll beat the lesser teams, but against those teams that are level, or slightly better, you need to provoke mistakes.''

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